Community Voices

During the 1970’s, a new genre of music called funk was making its way into the American mainstream and Dayton, Ohio was at the epicenter. Community Voices Producer Basim Blunt says that more funk bands came from Dayton, than any other place in the world. This story is about the world famous funk bands that hailed from the city’s West Side, and one community’s attempt to honor their legacy before the music fades.

On a warm spring morning, a group of Burundian refugees gather on a Jefferson Township farm for the first day of planting. They work in pairs, turning the soil and tossing seeds into the earth. They’ll plant beans, corn, onions, tomatoes and various greens on the two acres, one of the largest community gardens in Montgomery County.

It’s the human voice that’s the sacred harp.  When a group of voices get together and turn up the volume, it can rattle the walls and make you feel like you’re on the inside of a musical instrument.

Recently released on VHS, The Sleeper is a new slasher film by local filmmaker Justin Russell. Justin created The Sleeper as an homage to a genre that peaked in popularity before he was even born: slasher films.

Slasher films are those horror films from the 1980’s where a maniac offs a group of attractive young people with a machete, or a pair of garden shears, or a shish kabob skewer.

More than a dozen people who love the Dayton community have been beating each other up at Drake's Downtown Gym to support Dayton History and AIDS Resource Center Ohio. Dayton Knockout is a first-time charity event and VIP fight night. Boxers and Community Voices Producers Amelia Robinson and Kristen Wicker report.